We were convinced that the table in our 260 was just too big and that it really needed to drop down into a berth. Swinging it around to increase the size of the v-birth just didnt work well for us.

I followed the advice of others on the forum and cut about 2 feet off of the end using a jigsaw. Using a router I continued the groove along the edge of the table which allowed me to put the edging back on nice and neat.

In order to drop the table down you need to remove the existing support structure. Of course, this means that you need to find some way to support the table in its normal position. I have seen other good ideas on the forum but was really looking for something a bit different. After many days of searching I found marine grade table legs online. Installing 2 legs aft and one leg forward made the table very stable.

Table cut down to size with new legs

The aluminum legs that I found online were designed to have a table top mount and a bottom mount. Since I didnt want to mount anything on the floor of the boat, I just installed the table top mounts and purchased rubber end caps from the hardware store to use on the bottom of the legs. The legs and mounts can be purchased at http://www.arnesondesign.com/prices.html.

The legs are removable so the table can drop down into position. The table top mount seen in the middle is for a shorter leg that I use to support the table when it is lowered for sleeping.

Removable Legs

To lower the table into the sleeping position, we simply remove the legs and lower the table. We then insert the additional piece of the table that we cut off to complete the bed. The second piece stores nicely under the cushions in the v-birth when not in use. Each piece has a short support leg that makes the bed very solid.

To complete the project, my wife did an excellent job making new cushions that fill in the bed. She purchased 2 inch dense foam from the fabric store and covered it with fabric of nearly the same color. We found out a little too late that Hunter still has the original fabric available, but this matches very well.

In the

The new bed provides ample room for our two children to sleep. This project was fairly permanent since you have to cut the table, but we are extremely happy with the results. Thanks to all of those that have done this before me for posting their ideas and pictures on the forum.

The Bed